december and january actually have the lowest number of suicides per day. they were actually the highest in the spring and in the summer. researchers say that songs and movies focused on holiday blues including "it's a wonderful life" perpetuate that myth. your kids won't kill you. a new study shows that people with kids live longer on average than people who don't have children. parents are less likely to die from accidents. circulatory diseases, cancer and external causes suggesting behavorial differences when you become a parent. all right, well you really excited to get that holiday bonus? but that check isn't what it was last year. >> why employers are now cutting back and where they say the money is now going. details coming up on "good morning maryland" at 5:00. >> also ahead this morning, you might have had this job rather when you were 13 years old. one man is proving that some things aren't just for the young people. never too late to try something new.

all right, well this is the time of year you need warm clothes but some people can't afford them at all. baltimore city public works officials want to help. they're accepting mittens, hats, gloves and scarves. it's taking place today and the municipal building is where it's happening. the clothes will be donated to the needy through the salvation army's franklin square boys and girls club. a 6-year-old san antonio boy has the best gift ever for christmas. >> his dad is back from the persian gulf. keller was surprised by his father when he was at school. they have been separated for the past nine months. the keller family arranged for the school to surprise him two

weeks ago. staff sergeant jesse kelly says he's not been told when he's going to be deployed again and looks like just enjoying the moment there. well we want to remind you still collecting toys for the annual 14th year in a row the kinder time toy drive. drop off new unwrapped toys at several locations including wal- mart stores. we're going to be taking donations through december 19th. just head to the website, abc2news.com/toy drive for a full list of all the places that are accepting donations. all right, no doubt about it you love that smell of pizza when it's delivered right to the door. but would you actually want that scent following you everywhere you go? >> pizza hut, pizza hut now getting in on the perfume game. will anyone buy it? details when "good morning maryland" at 5:00 begins right now. the wait is over for many in maryland. today the state begins

licensing for same sex marriage. we're live with more on the landmark day. how did this map? an officer's gun fires inside an emergency room. startling patients and workers. this morning we have the latest on the investigation. why the city is now moving police officers out from behind their desks and out protectioning you and me. details on this thursday, december 6th. "good morning maryland" i'm charlie crowson. >> and i'm megan pringle, thank you for joining us this morning. a chilly start if you are headed out or taking the kids to the bus stop. you're definitely going to want to bundle up. >> lynette is here telling us about the change that came and another change that could possibly come. >> exactly charlie. very cold this morning and then we have another warm up on the way. so we are in a roller coaster effect but this morning you're stepping out the door. make sure you do have that heavy warm coat because we can see in reisterstown coming in at 28 degrees right now. this temperature is below average we should be at 31 for our low temperatures. and we are below freezing in millersville now. 29 degrees. look at the dew point.

17. that is some very dry air out there this morning. and this is going to continue right into the afternoon. the chilly air will as well. owings mill temperature coming in at 29. the good news is is that the winds have died down. it was a very blustery day on tap yesterday. not so much today. lots of sunshine through the roast of today. that lunchtime temperature coming in at 42 degrees. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good roads looking? good morning lynette. so far so good in howard county. interstate 70 nice and clear from columbia pike all the way over to 695. a look at the northwest corner of the beltway here at old court road no problems whatsoever. an easy ride making the push down to route 40. a look at the abc2 timesaver traffic drive times, you're looking at an 11 minute ride on the east side of the beltway traveling the outer loop from 95 all the way up to 83. and no concerns right now in

white marsh, 95 nice and clear. just four minutes to travel from route 43 down to 695. that's a look at your traffic. megan and charlie, over to you. the fire is blamed for killing a person at his home this morning. we have this breaking news out of bald win. that fire broke out just after midnight on the block of sweet air road. there were no fire hydrants near the home and the water had to be shuttled in. it was under control finally around 2:30 this morning. crews are trying to figure out exactly what caused that house fire. today is the day same sex couples who want to marry have been waiting for. they can finally get their marriage licenses. >> approved on election day and just a month later it is now official, and abc2 news' sherrie johnson is here. not everyone is going to be handing out the licenses, why is that going on today? >> reporter: even though same sex couples can pick up the license today, the actual law doesn't go into effect until january 1st. governor o'malley is expected to ratify the election results

allowing the clerk of courts to pass out certificates today but again some don't have to issue licenses until january 2nd when the law officially goes into effect. one of the compromises proponents of same sex marriage struck in order to get enough votes in the house of delegates was a provision that prevented the new law from taking effect before midnight, december 31st. attorney attorney doug gansler says that clerks may issue licenses as soon as the governor approves same sex marriage approved by voters. they cannot be effective before midnight on january 1st. although same sex couples can wed on january 1st they will still be considered as single for state income tax purposes. today is the big day where many couples can line up here at the house and receive their marriage licenses. reporting live in downtown baltimore, sherrie johnson, abc2 news. back to business as usual as st. joseph medical center. this after an officer's gun

went off inside an emergency room. police say the officer was guarding a prisoner being held on charges yesterday afternoon. and at one point, a hospital employee noticed that that prisoner had a needle hidden inside of his clothes. they say the prisoner tried to grab the employee and that's when the officer stepped in to help. >> the prisoner attempted to take her weapon. there was a struggle over the gun. and at some point the weapon discharged firing a shot into the wall. >> no one was hurt and police right now are still trying to figure out exactly how the service weapon was fired. this morning a mother is out of the hospital and in police custody. nicole fitzgerald is accused of killing her 2-year-old son. the 32-year-old is facing a number of charges. police were called to her home sunday. that's when they found her son's body. police say he was killed by a stab wound to the neck. fitzgerald was taken to the hospital and treated for cuts to her own neck. her preliminary hearing is next month. that 2-year-old is just one of the more than 200 people

killed in the city this year. the murder rate is climbing. and baltimore city police are stepping you have their patrols -- up their patrols to make the streets safer. over the past few weeks they've increased foot patrols city wide and taken more than 100 officers off of positions in order to boost the patrol units. they've started what is being called the violence protection initiative. and it's part of the program more than 18 officers have been demoted to the regional warrant apprehensive task force. police hope they have added the resources and get more criminals off the streets. commissioner bats made the announcement during a news conference last night. officers were responding to a home invasion on the 3700 block of manchester avenue in northwest baltimore. police found a semiautomatic handgun in that house. >> they said she had seen officers out here previous night and knew they were close. it was an opportunity for them

to seek out officers who were close in the neighborhood and they came right away. the suspect accused of shooting a security guard at the family research council may accept a plea deal today. floyd lee corkins is accused of shooting a security guard over the summer. at first he pled not guilty to the charge against him. on monday prosecutors offered a plea bargain. his attorneys have spent the last few days discussing the deal with the defendant can they're due back in court today. we'll let you know what happens. just days away now from the battle of the beltway. this time in football. the ravens are getting relatedy to take on rg3 and the washington redskins. the team will hit the field today with ray lewis by their side. star linebacker returned to practice for the first time yesterday since tearing his triceps. the pro bowler is not eligible to play in this week's game. he's expected to suit up next sunday when the ravens take on broncos. that's when they're going to be

taking on peyton manning for more supremacy in the afc division. you need to know how you have to dress and i'm guessing lynette charles is going to tell you wear a lot of clothes. >> exactly megan. yes wear lot of clothes the morning because it is very cold out there. let me show you the temperatures just just a minute but the -- in just a minute but the reason why it is cold. we had the cold front move through but also no clouds this morning. the temperatures are not seeing the air, the atmosphere not being insulated. the temperatures really able to drop off. you have to go a ways away from here if you want to get into unsettled weather that's back off to the northwest to wisconsin right now. more of that in minnesota. but close to home, nice, dry and very cold. now here are the temperatures that we're talking about this morning. frederick coming in at 31 degrees, pilesville 28. and union bridge at 29-degrees this morning. that cold front moved through. and those winds have turned around to the north and west.

and they are pretty much lighter than what they were yesterday. we're looking good in york, only 3-mile wind in baltimore. easton more of the same and this will continue through the day. let's get a check now of the abc2 timesaver traffic with lauren cook. good morning. good morning lynette. well we are certainly off to a cold start but fortunately no delays on the jfx. it will be nice and clear heading into the city. 695 going to be in great shape. no problems to report on the west side. and here's what 95 looks like just north of 195. everything moving right along. no problems getting down to d.c. this morning. and it will remain nice and clear as you make the push up to the tunnels. that's a look at your abc2 timesaver traffic. megan and charlie, over to you. the streets of baltimore are about to get a bit bright effort for the holidays. >> we have details on tonight's annual lighting ceremony at the city's washington monument. >> and it's been in the news now for the past several days but morning sickness suspect just a problem -- isn't just a problem for royalty. this morning we have some tips you may want to consider if

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it's 11 minutes after 5:00

on this thursday morning. and this morning's health alert we have been hearing a lot lately about morning sickness. and that's because the duchess of cambridge is suffering from a severe form of the condition. but it doesn't only happen to royalty. and many women do experience morning sickness so you might be wondering is there anything i can do about it? well, here's what the doctors suggest. despite the name, women can get sick anytime of day. day or night. and doctors aren't exactly sure what causes it. but they think it's linked to the increased levels of hormones produced when you are expecting. so to alleviate the symptoms here have only things that -- are some things that could be suggested. snack often and eat small meals, avoid spicy or fatty foods and also get plenty of fresh air. most people know what anasazi hangover feels like. and -- a nasty hangover feels like. that's according to a new study by researchers at brown university. they found the smoke asking drinking habits of more than 100 college students were part of the survey. those who drank heavily and smoked during the same day were

more likely to have a hangover the next morning. the symptoms were worse in students who smoked the morning after drinking as well. time now for a check on the weather. over to meteorologist lynette charles who's going to tell you what you can prepare for as you head out the door this morning. >> you called this a roller coaster ride. >> it is charlie, a roller coaster of temperatures. this time we're down. but let's see what's going on right now in the atmosphere. we can see the satellite and radar combination here. with the satellite no type of clouds. that's why these temperatures really dropping off this morning. with the radar we're not seeing any type of rain. we are going to see lots of sunshine in here and the reason why is high pressure is going to be building in as we go through the rest of today. you are getting that northwesterly flow around high pressure that's dropping those temperatures. it's going to be cold. make sure you bundle up this morning. and you stay bundled up throughout the day. temperature in manchester 28 degrees. we should be at 31 degrees now for this time of year.

that's exactly what we're seeing for our low temperatures in baltimore this morning. and we look at shadyside at 34 degrees. and we're at 29 degrees in bel air. 32 in rock hall. and 35 in cambridge. denton you're at the freezing degree mark this morning. now this is the future trend and this is what's going to tell you what's going to be happening as we go through the next several days. i'm putting it into motion right now. not a lot of change in the forecast for today. not until this evening we start to see more clouds coming in. so we will have increased cloud cover settings us up for what we're going to see tomorrow. we have a slight chance for some showers just a few showers to stream in here as we go into 1:00, 5:00. your commute home could be a little bit on the slick side. this is our planner for today and you can plan accordingly. lots of sunshine in the forecast the high temperature at 44 degrees and that sunshine though not really warming us up at all. by friday more clouds, a chance for some showers, temperature coming in at 50.

60 keg #-sz as we -- degrees as we head into saturday. and we'll be much milder as we go into sunday and monday. megan and charlie, over to you. the first family is now getting into the holiday spirit. today is the 90th annual national christmas tree lighting. president barack obama, his wife and two daughters will flip the switch to light the 30- foot tall true. this was planted in october on the ellipse near the white house. the event kicks off at 4:30. neil patrick harris will be the host. it's beginning to lookalikes like christmas in baltimore city too. that's because today is the annual lighting of the washington monument. and festivities start in mount vernon at 5:30 this morning. the lights and fireworks happen around 7:45. the year lardarius webb will flip the switch and starting this morning there's going to be road closures in the area because of the event. here's lauren cook and let you know how to get around that area. well this lighting will really impact the traffic in

mount vernon this morning. beginning at 9:00 a.m., the westbound lanes of mount vernon place will shut down from charles street to cathedral street. at 10:00 a.m. the east drive of north charles street is going to be closed between center street and madison street. and then at 6:00 this eastbound lanes of mount vernon place are going to shut down in the area. for a complete list of the closures go to abc2news.com and all of the traffic closures will be lifted at 11:00 p.m. no problems right now traveling through the tunnels and you are going out to the beltway. everything up to speed here. no problems getting up to towson. here's a look at the west side at liberty road. traffic moving right along. no delays as you make the push down to route 40. that's a look at your traffic. megan and charlie, over to you. 115 years imagine how much the world has changed and what you could have experienced if you lived that long. one woman can tell you firsthand. the woman making her way into the record books as the country's oldest living person. a remarkable story we look

forward to sharing with you. >> 55 years and still going strong. how one fast food giant is honoring the anniversary of a very famous sandwich and how you can take advantage of it.

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at the age of 115 years old, dina manfredini is he ised to the guinness -- headed to the guinness book of world records. she is now the oldest living woman in the world. this is video of the 115th birthday bash. she was born in italy in 1897 and came to the united states with her husband in the 1920s. they raised four children before her husband passed away in 1965. i'd be curious to know what invention impresses her the most. it may be this beginning today you can chow down on a whopper. a 55 cents in honor of the 55th anniversary. she was around for that you know. burger king is offering a deal through sunday. december 9th but there's a catch. you have to first buy a full priced whopper to get that 55- cent deal. all right, you're talking about bargains here's one that's not.

starbucks' lovers your barista is going to ask you if you want to pay for the monohot latte with cash, plastic or steel. that's their new superpremium gift card and report says the company is releasing the starbucks metal card which costs $450. it's loaded with $400 in credit. that's a lot of cough foe. it costs another $50 to make the card. starbucks' members say they can start buying that card today. everybody else has to wait until friday to spend their $50 on a steel gift card. and it is being sold through gilt.com. >> now $400 worth of coffee -- on one card. that would be about a week for us right? >> it'd be expensive. looking for a place to spend it. a new store coming to the area? starbucks plans to open 3,000 more stores during the next five years with at least half of them in the u.s.. as of october of last year they reported nearly 11,000 locations in the u.s. and another 6,000 around the world. china plays a big role in

starbucks' expansion plans. coffee chain hopes to have 1500 stores in china by 2015. we all love the smell of pizza just out of the oven. >> but do you love it enough to spray it on your neck? coming up pizza perfume. does this idea stink or is it genius? >> not really. >> all right let's talk about what's going on because we are dealing with some very cold temperatures but the 60s are in the forecast. when they come back coming up. >> everything is nice can clear here on -- ask clear here on route 95 in harford road. what traffic looks like on 695 and 83 coming up on "good morning maryland."

well the happiest place on earth is about to get a lot bigger. today the new fantasyland opens in orlando. it features new villages like the be our guest restaurant. the addition will cost $425 million. it will be doubling the sides of that portion of the magic kingdom. disney says it's the largest expansion in the park's history. take a minute and imagine

that fresh smell of pizza. thanks to pizza hut you can actually smell like that no matter where you are. take a look at this. the fast food chain is launching its own perfume. the marketing team at pizza hut got the idea from a facebook post. according to a press release the scent boasts quote notes of freshly baked hand tossed dough. now right now, only limited quantities of the scent are available and only available in canada. >> i don't know. >> you don't know? see i think husbands everywhere would be like cocochanel? and today it becomes reality. >> stay with us because you will see how some plans to break in that law with a big party at the national landmark. >> it's been almost five months since the mass murder inside a colorado movie theater. this morning we're learning when the cinema plans to open

again. megabank layoffs. citigroup is slashing 11,000 jobs and investors seem impressed. wall street had a good day overall with stocks surging for the first time this week. the dow rose 82 points yesterday to close above 13,000. and investors appeared optimistic after avoiding the fiscal cliff after president obama suggested that the deal could be reached in about a week. the government issues a new warning today about those reverse mortgages. they are mortgages that give senior citizen homeowners an immediate cash payment in exchange for a future equity. today the obama administration will recommend that senoras be very careful before signing one. star bucks is planning to open 1500 more cafes across the country over the next five years. averaging two new stores every day. that's america's money, i'm paula faris.

well, today many have been waiting for. the state of maryland begins issuing same sex marriage licenses today. we're live with more on this historic day. on a mission for survivors, a man walks cross-country for those affected by the stroke. we're going to tell you where you can meet him today. and one baltimore neighborhood could be getting a major makeover. the mayor will be on hand for a big announcement today. we're going to tell you what it is and if it is where you live on this thursday, december 6th. "good morning maryland," i'm charlie crowson. >> and i'm megan pringle. thank you for joining us. before you head out the door, hang on because meteorologist lynette charles is here to let you know what you can expect. >> all right. yes. it is cold out there. we are at freezing in davidsonville this morning. make sure you do bundle up. you can have the hat, the gloves, the scarf on as you step out the door